Suspended-track switch.



M. B. MOYER.

SUSPENDED TRACK SWITCH.

APPLICATION nuzo AUG. 5, 1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

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M. B. MOYER. SUSPENDED TRACK swn'cHL APPLICATION H1150 AUG.5,19.I5.

Patented June 20, 1916.

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"rut: COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. B. C.

MALCOLM B. MOYER, OF MOITTEVIFEO, MINNESOTA.

SUSPENDED-TRACK SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM B. MOYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montevideo, in the county of Chippewa and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspended- T rack Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to suspended tracks and more particularly to switches therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed and easily manipulated switch of this character for transferring a carrier from one track to another and which is so constructed that when shifted the switch will be automatically locked, and when so locked, will remain until manually released, thereby preventing all possibility of its being accidentally shifted.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for securing the switch in operative engagement with the track section which it is designed to connect both at the top and at the bottom.

Another obj ect is to provide automatically operating means to form guards for closing the paths at the open ends of the track sections when the switch rail is out of alinement therewith.

With these and numerous other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an overhead track equipped with this improvement; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. i is a plan view partly in section; Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 showing the switch in locked operative position; Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the lever carrying switch partially shifted; Fig. 7 is a vertical detail section taken on the-line 77 of Fig.

5, showing the cam member lnlocked position; Fig. 8 is a similar view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 showing it in released position.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed August 5, 1915.

Patented June20, 1916.

' Serial No. 43,863. r

In the embodiment illustrated a main line rail 1 is shown which is supported by the lower ends of suitable hangers 2 that are rigidly secured at their upper ends by suitable supports in the form of overhead beams or bars 3. At the switch, the main rail 1 is cut away a suflicient distance to permit the insertion of a switch rail 4 and which is adapted to be swung laterally between the ends of the cut away portion of the main rail 1 being pivotally mounted atone end and with its other end free to swing laterally in a manner to be described. This switch rail or section 4 is supported by braced hangers 2 similar to the hangers which carry the main line rail and are here shown connected by diagonal brace bars 2". These hangers are carried by a lever 5 which is fulcrumed at one end on the lower face of the supporting beam 3, the other end thereof being free to swing laterally. Secured to the free end of the lever 5 is a cross bar 6 which projects at its opposite ends on opposite sides of said lever and is provided on its lower face with depending round headed studs 7 for a purposeto be described.

Mounted on the inner face of the free end of the lever 5 is a spring actuated looking latch 8 here shown in the form of a substantially right angled triangular cam member pivoted at one corner of its wider front end to oblique edge disposed toward the lever 5 andwith its right angular edges extending upward toward the free end of said member and toward one flange of a channel bar constituting an arcuate track 9 with which it is designed to engage and which is arranged inthe path of said lever. The pivot of the latch S is positioned to aline with the point. on the upper flange of the track .9 with whichit is designed to engage so operative position as shown in Fig. 7 with the studs 7 seated in their sockets '12, the upper edge of the latch will engage said flange and prevent vertical movement of the lever 5 until said latch is released. This lever 5 is shown constructed. of an angle iron U-shaped in cross'section with the free edges of the flanges thereof arranged toward the supporting structure 3, the cam shaped latch member being designed to be moved inwardly into said lever to release it from the flange 10 of the track 9 as will be herethe front end of the lever with its that when the lever" 5 is in it to be engaged inafter more fully described. The lower flange 11 of the a plurality of longitudinally spaced curved seats shown in the form of apertures 12 so positioned that the studs 7 carried by the cross bar 6 of the lever 5 will engage said apertures on the swinging of said lever to predetermined positions in opposite direc tions whereby the lever is held against lat eral movement when these studs are so engaged. The rounded shape of the studs and seats permits the cross bar 6 of the lever 5 to be readily engaged with the track flange 11 when said cross bar is moved over said flange. The free inner end of the cam latch 8 is connected with one end of two op erating chains 13 and 14 which extend through an opening 15 in the lever 5 and are designed to pass over suitable guides here shown in the form of pulleys 16 arranged at points beyond the opposite ends of the track 9. These chains 13 and 14 are made of a length suflicient to permit the free ends thereof to depend in a convenient position for manipulation by an operator standing on the floor in a room in which the tracks are mounted. The, fulcrumed end of the lever 5 has a spacing member 17 arranged between it and the support 3 to adapt the free end thereof to be moved toward and away from the support 3 to provide for the raising and lowering of the free end of the switch rail 4 to adapt and disengaged from U-shaped seats 18 and 21 carried respec tively by the free ends of the main track section 1 and a branch line rail 20 to be described. A socket 19 carried by the end of the main track section which is arranged adjacent the pivoted end of the switch rail is shown flared at its free end to provide for the lateral swinging of the switch rail end therein a predetermined distance, the swinging movement being limited by the flanges or side members of said socket 19.

The branch line rail 20 is shown arranged in the same horizontal plane as the main line rail 1 and the free end thereof is disposed substantially in alinement with the end of the main line rail which is designed to be engaged by the free end of the switch rail 4 so that said switch rail end may be transferred from one of said rails to the other on the lateral shifting of the switch rail by the operation of one of the chains 13 or 14 according to the direction in which it is desired to switch the switch rail. This branch line rail 20 is also provided with a U-shaped clip or seat 21 to receive and hold the switch rail when engaged therewith and to prevent its lateral movement after it is so engaged.

The cam latch 8 which is designed to engage the upper flange 10 of the track 9 when the lever has been shifted into the desired track 9 is provided with position, is so shaped and mounted as to form a wedge-like engagement between said lever and track flange whereby the lever is locked against vertical movement after the free end of the switch rail 4 has been seated in the socket of the rail section with which it is designed to be engaged the studs 7 leg istering with two of the apertures 12 of the flange 11 when said switch rail t is positioned in operative relation relative to the track section with which it is to be engaged. These studs 7 serve to hold the free end of the lever 5 in raised position by bearing on the inner face of the flange 11 of the track 9 until they come opposite the apertures 12 in said flange and when they arrive opposite these apertures, the free end of the switch rail 4 will be positioned over the socket of the track rail section with which it is designed to be engaged. When these studs 7 enter the apertures 1.2, the free end of the lever swings vertically downward thereby causing the free end of the switch rail 4 to seat in the socket of the rail section with which it is to be engaged and the cam latch 8 under the action of the spring 8 swings automatically upward and forward into locking engagement with the track rail flange 10 thereby exerting a lockingaction on the lever 5 by forcing it downward and thus looking it against vertical movement whereby the switch rail is held in engagement with the track rail section with which it is designed to connect it until the lever end is again manually released and shifted laterall by operating one or the other of the chains 13 and 14.

From the above description the operation of this track switch will be obvious, it being understood that when it is desired to switch the switch rail 4 to bring it into alinement with either the main line rail or the branch line rail a pull is exerted on the proper chain 13 or 1% according to the direction in which it is desired to switch the switch rail, this pull on the O]i)(31.'i1-til1g chain causing the free inner end of the cam latch to be moved laterally inward and longitudinally rearward against its spring 8 into the lever 5 a sul'licient distance to disengage its looking nose from the flange 10 of the track 9 as shown in Fig. 8. A continued pull on this chain moves the lever upward or toward the support 3 a sutiicient distance to disengage the studs 7 of the cross bar 6 from the apertures 12 in the lower flange 11 of the track 9, simultaneously lifting the free end of the switch rail 4- a suflicient distance to release it from the socket of the rail section with which it is engaged and a continued pull on the chain will cause the lever to shift laterally in the direction in which it is desired until the studs 7 are positioned opposite two other of the apertures 12 and when so positioned the free end of the switch rail will be over the socket of another rail section. The studs will then enter these apertures 12 and permit the cam latch under the action of the spring to move upward or outward and longitudinally forward a sufficient distance to bring its nose into operative engagement with the upper flange 10 of the track 9 between said flange and the lever 5 whereby the lever is again locked and held until the proper chain is operated to again release it.

From the above description it will be obvious that by the use of this improved switch and the locking mechanism therefor as herein shown and described, a double lock is provided for the switch rail, it being locked inthe socket of the track section with which it is engaged and held against lateral movement by the side arms or walls of the U-shaped socket and by the engagement of the studs 7 with the apertures 12 of the track 9 and'against vertical movement by the engagement of cam 8 with flange 10. The outer walls of these U-shaped sockets are preferably made higher than the inner'walls to prevent all possibility of the switch rail swinging beyond the rail section when be ing connected therewith, while the lower in- 'ner wall permits the switch rail to swing readily into the socket and yet is sufficiently high to hold it so seated.

Two arms 22 and 23 are pivotally connected at one end with the track 9 and depend normally in a plane parallel with and above the track sections 1 and 20 in the path of and aredesigned to operate as stops for the wheel of the carrier so that should the carrier be accidentally on the track which is not alined with the swinging switch rail fl it will abut against the arm which depends at the end of the open track and prevent the carrier passing off. Then the switch is in position to allow the passage of the carrier wheel along the track, the stop 22 or 23, as the case may be, is swung to one side by an arm 2-l carried by the lever 5 ready to drop by gravity at the end of the track when the swinging switch rail is again removed from in front of said track. When one stop is swung to one side by the arm 24 carried by the swinging switch member, the other stop hangs in front of the open track to form a guard therefor, (see Figs. 1, 4C and 5.)

'I claim as my invention:

1. In an overhead switch, the combination with an elevated support, of a plurality of track sections suitably supported on said support with their ends in substantial hori zontal alinement, a switch rail pivotally mounted on said support for vertical movement and adapted to be swung laterally at one of its ends from one track to another, said track sections having sockets to receive the laterally swinging end of said switch rail, and-cooperating means carried by said switch rail and said support for locking the switch rail against vertical movement in the socket with which it is engaged.

2. In an overhead switch, the combination with an elevated support, of a plurality of track sections suitably supported on said support with their ends in substantial horizontal alinement, a switch rail pivotally mounted on said support for vertical movement and adapted to be swung laterally at one of its ends from one track to another, said track sections having sockets to receive the laterally swinging end of said switch rail, and cooperating automatically actuated means carried by said switch rail and support for locking said switch rail against vertical movement in the socket with which it is engaged thereby holding it in operative position against accidental shifting.

3. In an overhead switch, the combination with an elevated support, of a plurality of track sections suitably supported on said support with their ends in substantial horizontal alinement, a switch rail pivotally mounted on said support for vertical movement and adapted to be swung laterally at one of its ends from one track to another, said track sections having sockets to receive the laterally swinging end of said switch rail, cooperating automatically actuated means carried by said switch rail and support for locking said switch rail against vertical movement in the socket with which it is engaged thereby holding it in operative position against accidental shifting, and means under the control of the operator for simultaneously releasing said locking means and lifting the free end of said switch rail to permit it to move out of the socket with which it is engaged.

4. In a track switch, the combination with a support, track sections mounted on said support, with their ends substantially in horizontal alinement, a lever pivoted atone end on said support to swing laterally, a switch rail carried by said lever in position to engage said track sections on the swinging of said lever into predetermined positions, a latch on said lever, means on said support for engagement by said latch to lock said lever in adjusted position, chains connected with said latch and extending in opposite directions, guides over which said chains pass whereby the latch is released and the lever shifted in opposite directions.

5. In a track switch, the combination with a support, track sections mounted on said support, with their endssubstantially in horizontal alinement, a lever pivoted at one end on said support to swing laterally, a switch rail. carried by said lever in position to engage said track sections on the swinging V of said lever into predetermined positions, a cam latch adapted to be housed in said lever, means for normally projecting said latch, means on said support for engagement by said latch when projected to lock the lever against vertical movement, and means for releasing said latch.

6. In a track switch, the combination with a support, track sections mounted on said support, with their ends substantially in horizontal alinement, a lever pivoted at one end on said support to swing laterally, a switch rail carried by said lever in position to engage said track sections on the swinging or said lever into predetermined positions, a cam latch adapted to be housed in said lever, means for normally projecting said latch, means on said support for en gagement by said latch when projected to lock the lever against vertical movement, means for locking said. lever against lateral movement, and means for simultaneously releasing said latch and the means for locking the lever against lateral movement.

7. In a track switch, the combination with a support, track sections mounted on said support with their ends substantially in horizontal alinement, a lever pivoted one end on said support to swing laterally, a switch rail carried by said lever in position to engage said track sections on the swinging of said lever into predetermined positions, a cam-shaped latch carried by said lever, an arcuate track arranged in the path of said lever and having laterally extending flanges with spaced apertures in one of them, a cross bar on said lever having studs extending therefrom and adapted to engage the apertures in said flanges when the switch ail .is in operative position, and means for releasing said cross bar and latch.

8. In an overhead switch, the combination with an elevated support, of a plurality of track sections suitably supported on said support with their ends in substantial horizontal alinement, a switch rail pivotally mounted on said support for vertical movement and adapted to be swung laterally at one of its ends from one track to another, and a stop mounted to automatically close the path of the carrier at the open track end when the switch rail is swung out of alinement therewith to prevent a carrier on said track from being derailed.

9. The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar mounted in the path of one end of said memberwith its flanges disposed horizontally and in position to receive one end of said swinging member between them, and means carried by said member for engaging one of said flanges whereby said member is forced against and locked in engagement with the other flange.

10. The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar ber with its flanges disposed horizontally a in position to receive the free end of said swinging member between them, a latch pivotally mounted on said member and positioned to engage one of said flanges whereby said member is forced against and'locked in engagement with the other flange, resilient means for holding said flange engaging means in operative position, and means for releasing said flange engaging means.

12. The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar mounted in the path of one end of said member with its flanges disposed horizontally and in position to receive'one end of said swinging member between them, interlocking projections and seats carried one by one flange of said channel bar and the other by said member for holding said member against lateral movement, and means carried by said member for engaging the upper flange of said channel bar whereby the projections and seats are held in interlocked engagement.

13. The combination with a support, a

member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar mounted in the path of one end of said member with its flanges disposed horizontally and in position to receive one end of said swinging member between them, interlocle ing projections and seats carried one by said channel bar and the other by said member for holding said member against lateral movement, said projections being rounded and the seats curved to facilitate their engagement and disengagement, means for locking said projections in engagement with said'seats, and pull cords connected with said member and extending in opposite directions.

la. The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar mounted in the path of one end of said member with its flanges disposed horizontally and in position to receive one end of said swinging member between them, interlocking projections and seats carried one by said channel bar and the other by said member for holding said member against lateral movement, said projections being rounded and the seats curved to facilitate their engagement and disengagement, means for locking said projections in engagement with said seats, and means for releasing said locking means and laterally shifting said member.

15. The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar mounted in the path of one end of said member with its flanges tally and in position to receive one end of said swinging member between them, interlocking projections and seats carried one by said channel bar and the other by said member for holding said member against lateral movement, means for locking said projections in engagement with said seats, and single means for releasing said locking means, lifting said member vertically to disengage said interlocking projections and seats, and moving said member laterally.

16. The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, a channel bar with its flanges disposed horizontally and toward said member in position to receive the free end thereof between them, interlocking elements on the lower flange of said bar and on said member, a substantially right angled latch pivoted at one end to said member with its angle disposed upwardly in engagement with the upper flange of the bar and adapted to extend under and bindingly engage said flange when the interlocking elements of said member and the lower flange of said bar are engaged.

17 The combination with a support, a member mounted to swing vertically and laterally on said support, vertically spaced plates arranged above and below the path of the free end of said member, interlocking elements on the lower plate and on said member for holding said member against lateral movement, a latch pivoted on the free end of said member with its upper edge spaced from the pivot and adapted to engage the upper plate, the pivot of said latch being arranged in vertical alinement with Copies of this patent may be obtained for disposed horizonfive cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

the point the latch is designed to engage to provide for the locking of said member against vertical movement when the latch is engage with said plate.

18. In a track switch the combination with a support, a lever pivotedat one end on said support to swing laterally, a'switch rail carried by said lever, an arcuate track arranged in the path of said lever and hav ing a laterally extending flange provided with a seat, a stud carried by said lever and adapted to engage said seat when the switch rail is in operative position, means for locking said stud and seat in interlocking en on said upper plate with which gagement, and means for releasing said locking means.

19. The combination of a plurality of laterally spaced track sections, a main track, a switch rail pivotally mounted to connect one or the other of said track sections with the main track, a lever on which said switch rail is mounted, an arcuate track arranged in the path of the free end of said lever and having vertically spaced flanges extending toward said lever end, bars pivotally mounted on the member of said track which connects said flanges, said bars depending from said track and swinging normally into position above the track sections to form guards for carriers traveling on said sections, a cross-bar connected with the free end of said lever and projecting on opposite sides thereof, cooperating locking elements carried by said cross bar lower flange of said arcuate track, an angular arm carried by saidcross bar and eX- tending forwardly in a plane parallel with said lever and adapted to engage one or the other of said depending bars according to.

the direction in which said lever is moved for swinging aid bar laterally from over the track section above which it isdisposed. In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MALCOLM B. MOYER.

i Witnesses:

B. A. WHITMORE, LYMAN S. J USTIOE.

Commissioner of Patents,

and the- 

